Dr. Torrey as a Botanist* 



By Nathaniel Lord Britton 



The botanical work of John Torrey is a grand contribution to 

 science, and among the most permanent of that of all students of 

 the North American flora. Born in New York, Aug. 15, 1796, 

 he was early associated with Major LeConte, who later contrib- 

 uted largely to the literature of the biological sciences, with Dr. 

 David Hosack, who, during Torrey's youth, was engaged in the 

 development of the Elgin Botanical Garden, where Torrey studied 

 under the direction of that eminent physician and naturalist, and 

 he early came into relations with Professor Amos Eaton, the most 

 prominent American botanist of that time. Hosack used to refer 

 to him as M the young man with an old head " and this title was 

 taken up by his class hi the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 

 he being called the "old head" of the class. 



During his youth he collected and observed plants of the 

 vicinity of New York with great assiduity, and on May 5, 18 17, 

 he was appointed by the Lyceum of Natural History, then re- 

 cently founded, and of which he was one of the original members, 

 in conjunction with Dr. C. W. Eddy and Mr. D'Jurco V. Knevala, 

 as a committee, to prepare a catalogue of the plants growing in 

 the neighborhood of the city. The celebrated Dr. Samuel L. 

 Mitchell was at that time president of the Lyceum. Torrey must 

 have been even then familiar with the flora, for the note book 

 used by him, and on which the catalogue is apparently based, is 

 preserved as one of the most cherished records of his early studies, 

 and the work was presented to the Lyceum for publication, 

 December 2 2d of the same year. It was actually published at 

 Albany, in 18 19, the advertisement bearing date of February 16th, 

 the year following his obtaining his degree of Doctor of Medicine. 



His botanical studies, therefore, were prosecuted extensively dur- 

 ing his medical course of study. He soon became well and 



* This article and the two following formed a part of the exercises of Torrey Day , 

 celebrated at the New York Botanical Garden, June 27, 1900, in connection with the 

 Botanic*! Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 



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